The attacked happened in March at the family's apartment. The family agreed to watch a friend's pit bull. The dog seemed nice, Camp said, until he smelled two-year-old Kenzi.

"When he smelled her, that's when you saw it flip because I think he smelled my dog on her," Camp said.

When the dog started to attack the child, Camp fought back. In addition to biting off the dog's ear, Camp shoved her fist down its throat. While she fought off the dog, Camp told Kenzi to roll over so the child did not choke on blood.

"I only know to fight so how else do you get somebody to stop," Camp explained. "I mean I would do the same thing with a human being."

Camp was able to call 911. An officer arrived and shot the dog. The animal was later euthanized.

Several weeks after the attack, both mother and child have nearly made a full recovery.

"I can actually hold her again. I couldn't hold her for the first week that was the hardest part," Camp said. "She's a strong little girl and a fighter. She's meant to be here."

36 comments

Would this be the same PETA who has a 80-90% kill rate and uses other people’s dumpsters to dispose of the resulting carcasses? And what does any of what you posted have to do with the attack by the dog and the resulting euthanization of the dog?

Unlike some people I know that it’s a combination of instinct and training that causes a dog to be aggressive or non-aggressive – that the breed has very little to do with how a dog acts but something set this dog off with a terrible result.

So that being said can you please not hawk the “virtues” of such a hypocritical organization? Thanks.

silvia branniman

As someone who comes from a culture that raises dogs for hunt and as family, we have long known training is the key- no matter the breed or purpose. A few years ago a similar incident happened here and action to stop the dog necessitated killing it. Repeatedly large dogs are becoming a problem, and the pit bull is getting the most notice. People are getting dogs and sticking them in the yard until they get home from work. Dogs need socialization and honing of instincts. Ever watch the “Dog Whisperer”? It can be like having a child to raise.
I love dogs, but resent people who disregard their needs and make others pay for the negligence. It seems the most ill-equipped are most likely to love the cute puppy but forget the nurturing of the dog to come.
As for PETA (I feel they bend over backwards for animals in ways they never would for humans- don’t like your species, guys?) I have to say if I found a human clawing and biting a child in the face and all over his body as if he were MAD/INSANE, I would be tempted to cast my pacifist beliefs off and go after THAT animal, too. Is that equal enough?
How is it nobody mentions the owners in all this? Did they not know their dog well enough to alert the Mom?

@sylvia – right on! If an adult attacked a child in that manner then that adult deserves the same treatment the dog in the article did – well worse actually as the adult supposedly knows the difference between right and wrong.

Tazdad

” Tazdad
April 24, 2014 at 3:57 am
You must be deranged to put the “onus” of protecting a child on someone other than the parent. Disgusting.”

You had one part right – disgusting. The application of that word however is wrong. That word should apply to your 2 posts. But to explain my position as you are incapable of reading comprehension the onus is on the dog owner to tell the dog sitter about any issues the dog has with other dogs. Now sit down, shut your piehole, and let the adults speak.

This was avoidable. Who puts their baby down with a non-family dog? I fell horribly about what happened to that baby. I don’t feel her mother is any type of hero. Shes’s the adult. She was in control of child and dog. She created a dangerous situation for her child – and now everybody suffers for her poor judgment. Her child, the dog, and the dog’s owner all suffer, while she is praised for saving her child from the danger she, herself, created.

I’ve done it before on several occasions with several different dogs and the worst thing that happened is that my daughter was licked in the face – all supervised BTW. And that seems to be the case here where the mother was in the room when the dog attacked. Sorry but the onus should be on the owners and/or the ones who trained the dog.

Tazdad

No Name!

I hate that the dog had to be put down but I really hate that the little girl was so severely injured :-( the dog and the little girl should NEVER have been put in this situation, I dog sit and my kids are not allowed to interact with the dogs(if they are large dogs) small dogs they can have supervised interactions, this mom was very careless but im glad her little girl survived

pit bull mommy

Garnet Red

=nodding= I have shih tzu and I would never, ever, leave them with someone who had a small child… I have one who maybe wouldn’t bite but he definitely could and I would never put anyone or him into that questionable situation…

Best wishes for a wonderful recovery. mom you were very brave… I took one of my shih tzu to a dog park and had to rescue her from a, aggressive husky by putting my fist as far down it’s throat as I could so I get it.

Garnet Red

By the way I wasn’t nodding in agreement with the person who said it was the mother’s fault 100%…

Personally I think the dog’s owner should have been more cautious and dog aware.. Any dog can bite and they are studies stating a pit bull is no more likely to bit than any other breed but when they do it can be devastating.

I ran into a couple the other day who had a beautiful little pit bull all decked out in a pink halter and collar.. they were on their way into a crowded store and I stopped to admire the dog. they admitted they had no idea to control the dog but since it had never bitten anyone it was ok.. I saw the guy reach out and touch the dogs head from behind and the dog definitely overreacted but stopped when he realized it was the guy. I tried to bring it to their attention but they weren’t hearing it at all..

A true lover of Pit Bull’s wouldn’t be on here blaming the mother. There’s way to many Pit Bull owners out there that think they’re the perfect dog owner when they really aren’t. A Chihuahua bites kids more than Pit Bull’s do. But because of the controversy about Pit’s you don’t hear about the little dogs. A responsible dog owner of Pit Bull’s would never leave a dog with a friend that has a young child. I would never leave my gentle Akita with someone else (except the Vet). If I cant take him with me, I don’t go.

Dee

I agree with you. I am a put bull owner, and I would never leave them with a FRIEND. I wouldn’t leave my chihuahua with a friend either. You don’t know how a dog is going to react to a unknown situation. It seems that this pit did not know this child. Bad idea on both sides. Just hope the girl recovers quickly.

debrajmsmith

Dugan

A 2009 report issued by DogsBite.org shows that 19 dog breeds contributed to 88 deaths in a recent 3-year period. Pit bulls accounted for 59% followed by rottweilers with 14%.
Of the 88 fatal dog attacks recorded by DogsBite.org, pit bull type dogs were responsible for 59% (52). This is equivalent to a pit bull killing a U.S. citizen every 21 days during this 3-year period.
The data also shows that pit bulls commit the vast majority of off-property attacks that result in death. Only 18% (16) of the attacks occurred off owner property, yet pit bulls were responsible for 81% (13).

Karen Batchelor

Here is what the advisory committee to Bonner Springs had to say about dogsbite dot org just before they repealed their breed discriminatory law:

“The research for articles and statistics presented difficulties as the majority were anti BSOs. The few that were in favor of BSOs generally justified their positions with use of statistical data generated by DogBites.org. Research of this website found that the data presented to be extremely distorted with many myths presented as facts. An example of one of the myths reported as fact is one that states a pit bull’s jaws lock.”

“Because no one, including the CDC, maintains statistics of attacks by breed, the party who maintains the website gathers statistics by a review of newspaper articles for reports of dog attacks. This method would not be embraced by any statistician, as this would lead to greatly skewed and inaccurate results.”

This anti-Pit Bull hate site includes in their stats dogs that were not Pit Bulls, and deaths that were coincidental to a dog attack but not resulting from it, and photos of shark attack injuries which they attributed to Pit Bulls, etc. Not just unprofessional and flakey but rather dishonest.

Google them and see what respected researchers and commentators have to say about the dogsbite method and agenda.

angel2

I hope the girl and mom get better soon!
It’s not the breed, but the training (both dogs and kids). I’ve been around LOTS of big dogs (some supposedly vicious breeds) during my life. When I was 2 or 3, had two big dogs knock me down into the snow…but they were playing (my mom still has the pic). Had I shown fear, it may have been different. My sis had a rottie…she trained him well…even pretended to eat his food, so she could show him aggressive behavior wasn’t tolerated. I’m old enough to remember when german sheps were regarded as the most vicious breed.

Rebecca gonzalez

” Tazdad
April 24, 2014 at 3:54 am
you need a vicious dog unleashed upon you. the dog would get a blue ribbon for exterminating vermin.”

Bring it on buddy. Name the time and place, bring your dog, and let’s do this. Let me guess – you lack the testicular fortitude to do anything but play keyboard warrior. You remind me of that David troll.